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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Pyua - German Outdoor Clothing Company

Pyua is a German outdoor clothing company, who were Finalists in the ISPO Brandnew Awards in 2009. This year they've managed to score a ISPO Eco Responsibility Award in the Textile category for their Climate 2L Padded Jacket and Pants.

The judges liked that these freeride ski garments was made waterproof, by virtue of a Sympatex membrane, which unlike the ePTFE (teflon) substrates used by eVent and Gore-Tex can be easily recycled. Additionally Pyua had selected a recycled polyester face fabric and lining material for the Climate jacket. The materials selected also mean that, like Pyua's other outdoor clothing, the shell can itself be readily recycled at the conclusion of its useful life.

Although the Climate jacket not yet available at retail, Pyua small range of current skiwear tops and pants provide similar in-use functionality and end-of-life product stewardship. Except, instead of using Sympatex, these styles are crafted with Teijin's EcoStorm.

Eco Storm is waterproof and breathable film described by its Japanese makers as using recycled fibres, being recyclable through their Eco Circle system, and avoiding the use of solvents during production of the film, with few toxic gases released when burnt. Yet they say it achieves a waterproofness that labs test out at 20,000mm of hydrostatic resistance. With a breathability in the range of 5,0000g/m2 to 15,000g/m2 of moisture permeability per 24 hours.

Eco Circle is the same recycling system used by the likes of Patagonia and Nau. It is said to reduce energy use by an estimated 84% and carbon dioxide emissions by 77%.

As a new company in the outdoor arena, it's great to see Pyua taking such a strong line of environmental responsibility from the outset. Most of their website is understandably in German. But strangely their online store is also available in English.